Confidence is everything in sports. If you don't have it you won't succeed. Some people show theirs in a different way. Some can use it in a way that makes them a fan favorite while others just turn people off.

752 different Miggy's and counting
523 different Griffey's (As a Mariner) and counting

(10-01-2012 08:59 AM)alfredoleal2001 Wrote: I cant stand cabrera, never liked him. He is kind of like a showoff. Youd think someone living in venezuela like me would be rooting for him, but im not. My dad is following the triple crown hunt but id rather have mauer beat him in avg.......... we will see

I'm surprised so many people have a negative opinion of Cabrera. -Which is fine by me. It's surprising only because I watch about 150 tigers games a year and he comes across to me as more a "fun loving" kind of guy who loves baseball than someone with attitude issues. He's pretty well liked here, which isn't necessarily a given in Detroit.

One thing I like about Cabrera as a player is how much power he has to the opposite field. Unquestionably, he has amazing talent. In a different way, it kind of reminds me of Pujols, whose homeruns (on tv) look like pop ups off the bat but end up being drilled to the upper deck in the outfield. It's just something that always struck me as pretty impressive (about both guys). I also like the fact that Cabrera committed himself to making the switch to 3rd this season. Other guys would've put up a stink over being moved from 1st, or whatever. He really seemed to embrace it and has been pretty decent.

In any event, I'm a Tigers fan above all and hope that they can put a run together in the play-offs. This next month is my favorite time of year (whether the Tigers play or not).

(10-01-2012 09:13 PM)ringers1993 Wrote: Welcome to the new MLB where WAR is the only stat that matters in in the MVP Race

I think WAR can be interesting to consider, but at the same time, I know it has its flaws. This year, more than any other, I've heard more writers knocking the RBI stat. They say it's more about what your team mates do than what you accomplish.

For the last couple years, I've been tracking (for Cabrera and Hamilton, and last year Victor Martinez) what I call their "advancement average" or "advancement conversion." After the fact, I found out it has some similarities to the "Runs Created" stat. In any event, "advancement average," as I choose to view it, consists of the total advancements (bases) that a batter converts during his at-bat, including any advancements produced relative to runners on base. The underlying premise is that every advancement theoretically increases the likelihood of a run being scored (eventually perhaps).

Basically, it works like this:

No men on: batter has potential to convert four total advancements (just like slugging)
Man on first: batter has potential to convert seven total advancements.
Man on first and second: batter has potential to convert eight total advancements.
And so forth...
Man on second only: batter has potential to convert six total advancements
Man on second and third: batter has potential to convert seven total advancements.
And so forth...
Man on third only: batter has potential to convert five total advancements.

Using the first scenario (man on first), if a batter gets a single, and moves the runner to second, he'll have converted 2/7 (or 28%) of possible base advancements.

Likewise, if the batter creates an out, with no corresponding advancement, his advancement average for that at-bat is 0/7.

Conversely, if the batter gets a single, but is able to advance the runner from first to third, his advancement average for that at-bat is 3/7 (or 42%)

If the batter produces a sac fly that scores the runner from third, and advances the runner from second to third, his advancement average for that at-bat is 2/7 (28%)

A grand slam, naturally, results in the best advancement average 10/10.

What I've found is that "advancement average" naturally weighs "clutchness." That's to say, it progressively awards not only the total advancements, but also the most important advancements (third to home, second to third, first to second, home to first- in that order)

For example, if a batter gets a single with no one on, he'll have converted 1/4 (25%)

That same single with a man on third, however, would achieve 2/5 possible advancements (40%).

Naturally, the more a batter produces with runners on base, the more his positive average will be weighted. Conversely, a batter who produces no advancements with the bases loaded is penalized (0/10).